as in leisurely
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
the dawdling pace of the movie was really making us restless
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in delaying
to move or act slowly
if you continue to dawdle, we'll be late for sure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in loafing
to spend time doing nothing
accused the city council of dawdling even as the crime rate was spiraling out of control
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dawdling
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
Further, there’s no excuse for Congress to continue dawdling on farm policy.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawdling
Adjective
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While the original line was built for industry, pleasure excursions resumed 59 years ago, allowing visitors to experience the same scenic route at a more leisurely pace.—
Kristine Hansen,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Oct. 2025
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Kayaking - While kayaking can be a leisurely activity, strong currents or capsizing can require emergency services, especially in more remote locations like sea caves.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Weddings are expensive, after all, and delaying the big honeymoon trip can help ease the blow by spreading out the cost.—
Jim Augerinos,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Oct. 2025
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For many, that means skipping checkups, delaying prescriptions, or deciding which bill not to pay.—
Linda Goler Blount,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Within a few moments, an antlerless deer emerged, loafing along toward Ronnie, completely unalarmed.—
Jim Moore,
Outdoor Life,
8 Oct. 2025
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She is seen going over the shots planned for the next day and remembering that some loafing around is planned.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Tiles also exhibited hysteresis, which was smaller at slower speeds due to the rubber’s viscoelastic properties, as reported by Nanowerk.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
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Levi, an electrical engineer who founded MicroKits in 2020, has had to raise prices, slow production and pause plans to launch a new product – Banan-a-Synth – that lets kids turn a bunch of bananas into a kind of keyboard.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Place pheromone traps around your closet to capture any lingering moths.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
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The moon is glimmering, the veil between worlds is thin and there’s an air of mischief lingering in the shadows.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Difficulty accelerating, misfiring, shuttering, and rough idling can indicate bad gasoline.—
Kamron Sanders,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Oct. 2025
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Shopkeepers lightheartedly gossip in rich drawling accents, and pickup trucks make up the majority of the vehicles idling at one of the few stoplights in town.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This 2022 Netflix original documentary will have your skin crawling.—
Emy LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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No one enjoys finding moths fluttering around the flour or tiny caterpillars crawling in the cereal.—
Lauren Wicks,
Southern Living,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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With sizes ranging from 0 to 20 and four different inseam options (19, 23, 25, and 28 inches), these lightweight and sweat-wicking leggings are perfect for everything from lounging to long workouts, with plenty of space to keep your essentials in easy reach.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Oct. 2025
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The extra-wide, contoured seat and tall backrest make lounging effortless, while the 450-pound weight capacity adds peace of mind.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dawdling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawdling. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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